Why 'The Purge' is Disturbing on So Many Levels

Last week I got the chance to see the creeptastic thriller/horror flick, The Purge. And I can't understand why the reviews coming out for it are so bad. While it's a bit unconventional as far as horror movies go, it was original, and definitely did its job of freaking me out. There were major twists, and the ending was unexpected. The acting was top notch, especially from Rhys Wakefield who played the creepy AF stranger (pictured left).

The concept of a future in which crime (including murder) in the US is legal, however, was so disturbing that I left the movie thinking I hope like hell we're not that stupid as a nation to actually do something like this one day. The thought behind this purge is that it will allow people to rid themselves of hatred and violence, therefore creating a lower crime rate. I've also seen theories that suggest this purge also rids itself of the lower class, as they're too poor to afford a proper security system.

One of the most unsettling things about this flick was the way in which nearly everyone seemed okay with this purge, and even embraced it. The parents explain to their children why it's good for our country the way you would expect them to be explaining where babies came from. The daughter and her boyfriend see the neighbor sharpening a machete and say, "Looks like he's preparing for the the purge." The bitchy neighbor lady stops by with cookies, and says she won't be having a purge party this year as it becomes too much of a hassle. There are broadcasts on the TV in which a woman's voice pleasantly reminds the viewers why the purge is good.

As you can expect, this movie is filled with violence. At one point it reminded me of Helter Skelter and the Charles Manson family. There's a disconcerting scene in which the dad has the mom help to torture a person, and another troubling scene in which you see a parent pushed to their limit when their children are threatened. The family's morals are stretched to the limit, and even broken. This was literally me throughout the entire film:

Yet despite all of this, I enjoyed it. Really, it was just an adult's version of The Hunger Games. Does liking it make me crazy, or just extremely twisted? Has society pushed us so far that it takes extremely disturbing ideas to entertain us? I know this isn't true of everyone, as many people I've talked to said they will not be seeing this movie. But there are still a lot of us out there who really enjoy that kind of thing. And once again, it leaves me concerned for the future generations. What will come next?

Check out my full review of The Purge on Two Chicks and a Blog.